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Show (Dte Page B5 tirg-3n&gpmbe- Thursday, April 18, 2002 ni Zion's Bank small business index State's unemployment rate increases was in percent unemployment January declines; net job growth strengthens rateUtahs jumped tive observation from the Februarys from The Zions Bank Small Business Index for Utah declined to 83.4 in March 2002 versus a revised 85.4 in Feb- nians to pack up and leave, fueling population growth in all other Western states including Utah, which experienced a sharp rise in new resi- Utahs unemployment ruary. rate jumped to 5.9 in March, the highest since 1987. Total dents. This strong surge in new Utah residents led to employment fell by 15,600 jobs during the past 12 months, the largest drop in 20 years. strong demand for both singlehousfamily and ing, as well as placing additional upward pressure on the school-ag- e population. This latest trip around the economic cycle has been different. California has outperformed nearly all of its Western counterparts as measured by employment changes, contributing to the sharp decline in people leaving California. Most Western states have suffered employment declines during the past 12 months, including Utah. Such a development marks the end of a powerful run of nearly 20 multi-famil- y Utah net has fallen sharply in recent years, tied primarily to stronger California economic growth The nations unemployment rate rose to 5.7 in March, while net job growth was the strongest in more than a year. The U.S. recession of the early 1990s was primarily concentrated in California and in the Northeast. The recession of the past year (IF we actu- ally had one) was spread across the nation, with a majority of states feeling the impact. years of impressive job creation. Since 1983, employment in Western states other than California grew by 80, A departure from the past is the performance of the Cali- fornia economy, easily the d Wests gorilla. California economic weakness in compared with about 40 in California, and 35 in the U.S. (The Wall Street Journal). 900-poun- s the early- - to led more than 1.3 million Califor mid-1990- The Utah unemployment rate the most heavily weighted component of the Zions Bank Small Business Index for Utah was 5.9 in March 2002, up sharply from Februarys revised 5.5 rate. The current 5.9 rate is the highest since 1987 and compares to a jobless rate of 4.0 during March 2001. A higher Utah unemployment rate is a positive contributor to the Index as it implies increased access to Utah labor. Utahs unemployment rate averaged 4.0 in 2001. By comparison, the 3.2 average during 2000 was one of the lowest annual rates since the early 1950s. These rates compare to average Utah unemployment rates of 3.7 during 1999, 3.8 in 1998, and 3.1 during 1997. Total employment in Utah actually declined by 15,600 jobs (down 1.4 ) over the past 12 months. This drop compares to the revised 4,500 jobs lost in the prior year-over-ye- ar period. These new projections represent the first declines in 20 years. These totals compare to gains averaging 38,300 new jobs year-overye- annually daring the ar or actual employment de- clines, leading to lesser income creation and weaker retail spending, has a negative impact upon Utahs small businesses and therefore, the In- Wf per- matches the revised December 2001 figure. The last time Utahs unemployment rate was this high was in 1987. Ken Jensen, senior economist for the Utah Department of Workforce Services (DS), commented, Layoffs claimants for state un- employment compensation made a very unusual increase from February to March. This phenomenon may be linked to layoffs of temporary workers associated with the Olympic Win- ter Games." Approximately 68,900 Utahns were unemployed in March 2002, a jump from the 45,100 in March 2001, when the rate was 4.0 percent, Utahs other primary indicator of current labor market conditions, the year-ovchange in the number of nonfarm wage and salaried jobs, showed a loss of 1.4 percent, or 15,600 jobs, for March 2002. This indicator plummeted during 2001, dropping from 2 percent growth for nt er 1994-200- 0 period. Weak job growth Grand revised 5.5 percent to 5.9 cent in March 2002. This Ron Allen Consulting Services, Inc. dex. The Zions Bank Small Business Index for Utah declined to 83.4 during March rst 2002 from a revised 85.4 during February 2002. The Index measures business conditions from the viewpoint of the Utah small business owner or manager. A lower Index number is associated with less favorable t HEW HOURS: MOH-F- SAT 8--5 RI 8-CL- Phone:435-259-697- 6 FAX: 435-259-43- business 12 conditions" for Utahs small businesses. The Index uses 100.0 for calendar year 1997 as its base year. The Utah Assistive Technology Foundation Independence is priceless, we help make Index also includes revisions to various historical or forecast components. it affordable. Interest Loans 0 Historic photos of mine tragedy now available Our purpose is to help children and adults with disabilities achieve their highest potential and live as independently as possible. We offer 0 loans through Zions Bank to finance any kind of assistive device including hearing aids, braille notetakers, communication boards, wheel-chai- n and more. We also finance vans with lifts at very low interest rates. For more information, or to apply for a loan, please call the Utah Assistive Technology Foundaus at uatfcpd2.usu.edu. tion at or 800-524-51- ail DELTA SALES YARD Market Report April 11, 2002 We had another extra big sale this week. Cattle coming from ail over. Feeder cattle $3-5- 4 tower. Not enough quality calves of any certain weight to quote a market price. Sold LOTS of singles and 2s. NO big bunches. Butcher cattle $1 tower. Bred cows and better pairs $800-$95broken mouths Ewes .33-- . 42, thin ewes $t 5 Big Heiferettes .28-.2- medium quality Quality spring lambs up to .78. Bucks Baby calves $750-$85- 0, $475-$700.Fe- w 5. .2S-.3- 0, 5. 5 Light Heiferettes 5 Cows to .47 cows Bulls Top young Cutting 2 4 Medium Flesh Cows Butcher Bulls Lower Yielding Cows Next Week: Aril 18 Dispersal of 70 fancy pairs from Paonia. First calf heifers to running age cows. Also 60 pairs from Delta, mostly yr. cows with CharAngus calves. Also 1 0 semi toad of fafl calves from Utah, grass calves! 12 hd. red Angus calves from Palisade, tots of other smaller consignments of grass cattle. If you need pairs, this is the week to be here! 4602 Horse Sale Results - Sold 175 hd. Better riding horaes $600-$,000. horses $1000-- 1700. Average dude-typ- e Medium horses horses, quality weigh Top weigh Thin or old horses hard to get a buyer on. Next Horse Sale Saturday, May 4. Tack begins at 11 a m. toilowed by the horaes at 3 p,m. Attention sheep and goat owners - WE NOW HAVE OUR SCRAPIE TAGS FROM THE STATE. PLEASE ID ALL ANI.4S-.5- - .47-.5- .55-.6- .42-.4- S - .36-.4- .35-do- 3-- 5 350-45- 1 $ .4S-.4- .20-,3- 5. 0. 8 mo. OLD BEFORE YOU BRING THEM IN TO SELL OR WE WILL CHARGE $2 EACH TO TAG THEM FOR YOU. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR TAGS YET, PLEASE CALL MALS OVER 5 years Fred Ball came into Bill Fossats photo studio in Helper and offered him a rare collection of The photos documented one of Utahs most terrible tragedies, the Castle Gate mine explosion of 1924. Those photos have now ago, twenty-fiv- e ld photo-graph- s. been published, probably for the first time, in the winter 2002 issue of Utah Historical Quarterly, thanks to the generosity of Bill and Albert Fossat, who donated them to the Utah State Historical Society. The images show the townspeople anxiously gathering at the mine entrance after hearing of the accident, debris scattered by the force of the explosion, Salvation Army per- sonnel and rescue workers, coffins stacked and waiting for 50-125- 0. .55-.7- Some 1 AND ORDER THEM. Sheep and goats need to tagging, and Know be to by 10:30 so we have time to do any Your Herd ID. For mere into cal Dan at . . or 874-36- 06 . evenings burials, and so many graves dug in the cemetery that it looks like a minefield. The explosion blew apart the g ofthe entire community and shattered lives. These photos, accompanied in the Quarterly article by quotes from contemporary newspapers, powerfully document the communitys apprehension, rescue efforts, and grief. The rest of this Quarterlys contents are no less absorbing. The stories cover Dorothea Langes Utah depression photos, the politics and red tape well-bein- of Utahs depression-er- a Writers Project, Utahs treatment of Japanese American college students during World War II, and one mans efforts to transform St. George. For a copy of the Quarterly, or to join the Utah State Historical Society, call (801) 533-350- 0. Apple Authorized Sales and Service provider. Ray Williams 259-581- 2 or Toll Free: We Fix Macs! We Sell Macs! We can Tiine-u- p your system! Oa Site Apple ( omutuntx since 199 Providing MactMostt Safe. Service and Support ttiroughoat Utah 2001 to a 1.5 loss for December 2001. Temporary hiring for the Olympic Games moderated the losses in January and Febru- ary, a clearer picture of the impact of the recession is reflected in the March data. The last time Utah suffered year-ovjob losses was in er 1982. For the United States, the March 2002 unemployment rate, at 5.7 percent, is of a point from up Februarys figure. But it is below still slightly Decembers 5.8 percent. In both December 2001 and March 2002, Utah's unemployment rate is higher than the respective U.S. rate. The last time this crossover occurred was in 1987. The year-ove- r drop in the U.S. jobs total continues to reflect the nations economic slowdown. The last time the U.S. lost jobs year- two-tent- hs non-far- m 1992. One over posi- that the seasonally adjusted monthly total employment increased by 58,000, the first month-ove- r gain since July 2001. Government employers in Utah have 2,400 more staff than a year ago. an increase of 1.3 percent. The federal governments 1 600-joexpansion is to increases at due largely defense installations. The U.S. jobs data is b state government budget woes are already impacting state employment higher education made small year-ove- r gains, while other state agencies lost 900 jobs. A net loss of nearly a percentage point is the result. Local government maintained its moderate growth pace by adding 2,300 jobs, a 2. weighted toward activities. expansion non-educati- |